Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-05-31

rs well as could DO expected, and then an 40
cident happened that nearly lost us tho pleas.
ure OF the company Of our venerable frieri
Billali, whose litter was leading tho cayalcade
We were going through particularly dam
gerous piece Of quagmire, mwhich the bearers
sometimes sunk up 10 their knees. Indeed, it
was mystery to me how they contriyed TO
carry the heavy filters at all over such ground
as that which we were traversing, though the
two spare hands, as well rs tho four regular
ones, had of course TO put their shoulders to
tho pole.
Presently, as we Numbered and houndered
along, there was a sharp cry, then storm Of
ordinations, and, last of ALL a most ire
mendous splash, and the whole caravan halted.
l jumped out of my litter and ran forward.
About twenty yards ahead was the edge OF
one Of those sullen peaty pools Of which
have spoken, the path we were following rum
ming along the top of its bank, which, as it
happened, was a steep one. Looking toward
this pool, 10 my horror l saw that Dilali's
litter was floating on it, and rs to Billall him
self no was nowhere to be seen. To mako
matters clear l may as well explain ut once
what happened. One Of Billali's bearers had
unfortunately trodden OH basking snake,
which had bitten him in the leg, whereon he
had not unnaturally let go of the pole, and
then finding he was tumbling down the
bank grasped at the litter to save himself.
The result Of this was what might have been
expected. The litter was pulled over the
edge of the bank, the bearers let SO and the
whole thing including Billali and the man
who had been bitten, rolled into the Shiny
pool. When | got to the edge Of the water
neither of them was TO be seen, and indeed
the unfortunate bearer never was seen again.
Either he struck his head against something
or got wedged in tho mud, or possibly the
snakebite palayzed him. At any rate, he
vanished. But though Billali was not to DO
seen his whereabouts was clear enough from
the agitation OF tho floating litter, in the.
bearing cloth and curtains of which he was
entangled.
ale is therel Our father is therel" said one
Of the men; but he did not stir a finger to
help him, nor did any of the others. They |
simply stood and stared at the water.
"Out of the way, you brutesln shouted in |
English, and throwing Off my hat, took II
run and sprung well out into the horrid Shiny
looking pool A couple of strokes took me
to where Billali was struggling beneath the
cloth.
Somehow, don't quite know how, man
aged to push this free from him, and his
head, all covered in green slime,
like that Of yellowish Bacchus with ivy
caves, emerged from the surface Of the
water. The rest was easy, for Billali was an
practical individual, and had the
common sense not to grasp hold of mo as
browning people often do, so got him by the
lrm, and towed him to the bank, through the
mud of which we were with difficulty
ragged Such filthy spectacle as we pre-
ented have never seen before or since and
{ will perhaps give some idea Of the almost ,
uperhuman dignity of Billali's appearance
When say that, coughing, half drowned, and
overed with mud and green slime as he was, !
nth his beautiful beard coming to a dripping /
oint, like Chinaman's freshly oiled pig tail, ,
% still looked venerable and imposing.
aye dogsln he said, addressing tho bearers, I
S soon as he had sufficiently recovered to !
peak; rye left me, your father, to drown. !
lad itnot been for this stranger, my son the ,
'aboon, assuredly should have drowned. !
Veil, will remember IT. and no fixed them
18th his cleaning though slightly watery eye !
way saw they did not like though they r
led TO appear sulkily Indifferent. "As for n
lee, my son. the old man went on, turning I
ward mo and grasping my hand, "rest as b
lred that am thy friend through good and Il
VII Thou hast saved my life; perchnnce a Il
ny may come when i shall saFe thine.n O.
After that we cleaned ourselves as best we Il
1uld fshed out the litter, and went on, h
linus the man who had been drowned. / 81
ont know il it was owing to his being an s.
Unpopular character, or from native indif-
renee and seldshness of temperament, but l CT
n bound to say that nobody seemed to N
'ieve much over his sudden and final disap- /
'arance, unless, perhaps, it was the men ss
ho had to do bis share of the work. IA